The present invention relates to cassettes for receiving and stacking of banknotes. In particular, the invention relates to cassettes with improved stacking capability.
Existing cassettes for banknote accepting devices such as currency validators or vending devices, include a mechanism for initially receiving a banknote in a guide with a movable actuator positioned between the guides for displacing the banknote laterally to add it to a stack of banknotes adjacent one side of the guides. Typically, this actuator moves the stack of banknotes a sufficient distance for the best banknote to clear the guides. The guides are stationary and aligned with a receiving slot of the cassette. A helical spring bias the banknote in one direction and the movement of the actuator also causes a compression of the spring.
Cassettes of this type require considerable interior space for accommodating movement of the actuator through the stationary guides for stripping of the last received banknote. Furthermore, the actuator must have sufficient power for displacing the stack of banknotes and the spring when a banknote is added to the stack. In many cases, the maximum capacity of the cassette determines the frequency that the cassettes have to be removed and large capacity cassettes are normally desired. On the other hand, space is often at a premium and there is a trade-off between the size of the cassette and the space that is available. Larger capacity cassettes have also required higher power for the actuator as the size of the stack of banknotes which is displaced is also larger.
The present invention provides a structure which more efficiently makes use of the interior volume of the cassette.